Israeli Opposition Leaders Fail to Agree on Knesset Speaker Nominee

Leaders of Israel's opposition bloc, including Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Lapid, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett, met for over an hour in Herzliya but failed to agree on a joint candidate for Knesset Speaker. The meeting concluded without a consensus, with a decision expected no later than November 9. Eisenkot reportedly refused to support Lapid's candidacy. During the talks, Yair Golan stated that his party, the Democrats, would not join a coalition that includes the Likud party, emphasizing that negotiations would proceed without them if such a scenario arose. Golan also inquired about the finality of a decision to cease contact with Arab parties, receiving an affirmative response.

In a joint statement, the opposition leaders announced their intention to "immediately proceed to replace the October 7 government with an emergency national government, relying on a clear majority in the Knesset." They affirmed their commitment to forming a "Zionist government" based on four principles put forth by Eisenkot, aiming to swiftly implement the will of the voters who "clearly and unequivocally voted for change." The leaders also addressed what they described as a "dangerous and insane campaign" by Likud and Netanyahu to delegitimize election results and the Central Elections Committee, vowing to defend the democratic process.

According to their agreement, all parties will recommend Gadi Eisenkot to the President as the first to be tasked with forming a government, with the goal of rapid formation and avoiding new elections. The parties' negotiation teams will immediately begin drafting core principles and coalition agreements for the 38th government, and leaders pledged to maintain close coordination in the coming days until the new government is sworn in.